Footage taken on the streets of Bangkok shows a riot policeman attempting to kick a hand grenade away from fellow officers - only for it to explode and appear to blow his foot off.

The police can be seen sheltering behind a wall of shields as missiles are hurled from the crowd, in the latest round of Thailand's protests calling for the government to step down amid accusations of rampant corruption.

The gruesome scenes were captured by an onlooker as the protests turn to riots, the most recent of which has left four people dead and dozens injured as Thai police began clearing protest sites in the capital.

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Footage taken on the streets of Bangkok shows a riot policeman attempting to kick a hand grenade away from fellow officers - only for it to explode and appear to blow his foot off

Several were reported injured by the attack, apparently by protesters, who police say were also targeting them by sniper, globalpost.com reports.

The officer appears to spot the grenade from behind the wall of shields, and moves forward to punt it away.

But it seems he is a second too late, as the device detonates by his foot, with seemingly devastating results.

Anti-government protests have been ongoing in Thailand since November.

Officials have confirmed that one of the dead is a police officer - one of about 15,000 involved.

The riot police can be seen sheltering behind a wall of shields as missiles are hurled from the crowd in the latest round of Thailand's protests

As the violence escalates, missiles are hurled by the crowd. Some sources have also suggested snipers were also taking aim at officers

One officer breaks free from his fellow police to kick away a missile that has apparently been thrown from the crowd

But the missile explodes before him as his foot makes contact, as other officers can only look on

The
demonstrators asked officials at the Defense Ministry complex to
prevent Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from using it as her backup
office.

She has been unable to enter her regular office compound in
downtown Bangkok because it has been blocked by protesters and some of
its gates have been cemented shut.

The demonstrators also vowed to target businesses owned by Yingluck's wealthy family.

Protesters have also camped out for a month at major intersections across the capital to press for Yingluck's resignation.

The
military said the prime minister and Cabinet ministers stayed away from
their temporary offices on Wednesday to prevent further tensions.

The gruesome scenes were captured by an onlooker as the protests turn to violence, the most recent of which has left four people dead and dozens injured as Thai police began clearing protest sites in the capital

As he falls back, his boot appears to be thrown into the air by the force of the explosion

The area is quickly covered in thick smoke after the explosion, which is believed to have injured dozens of officers and bystanders

Yingluck's
elected government has been attempting to avoid violence to keep the
powerful military from stepping in. Thailand has been wracked by
political unrest since 2006, when Yingluck's brother, former Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by a military coup after being
accused of corruption and abuse of power.

Police
have been ordered to exercise restraint and avoid using force, but
deadly gunbattles erupted Tuesday after they moved into several
locations around the city to remove protesters.

Erawan emergency medical services said a fifth person died of injuries from Tuesday's fighting.

Nearly 70 others were injured.

Thai police officers aim their weapons towards anti-government protesters after an explosion during clashes near the Government House in Bangkok

Thai riot police officers assist a colleague after an explosion - believed to be that caught on camera - during clashes with anti-government protesters near the Government House in Bangkok

Thai riot police officers shield themselves as they withdraw from the area after clashes with anti-government protesters at a protest site. One Thai policeman was killed as officers arrested two protest leaders and other 144 followers

The
demonstrators, who mostly draw their support from the urban middle and
upper class and people in the south, want Yingluck to step down to make
way for an appointed interim government to implement reforms they say
are necessary to fight corruption and remove the Shinawatra family from
politics.

Thailand's Civil
Court is expected to rule Wednesday on the government's invocation of an
emergency decree that allows authorities to exercise wide powers,
including detaining protesters for a longer period without charges,
banning political gatherings and imposing curfews.